'2.1 million voters didn’t show up' - Bawumia says NDC election victory was a gift from NPP

Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the NPP's 2024 candidate. He stated that the NDC did not win the elections; rather, the NPP lost.

During his Thank You Tour in London, he spoke to the Young Executive Forum (YEF). He attributed the NPP’s defeat to voter apathy and low turnout from loyal supporters.

“The issue was on the NPP side,” he said.

He noted a decline of 2.1 million votes compared to 2020. “2.1 million people who voted for us in 2020 did not turn up.”

Dr. Bawumia believes that if those voters had participated, results would differ significantly. “If these 2.1 million people had come out, we would have won.”

He insisted that the NDC didn’t win fairly. “This vote wasn’t won by the NDC; it was lost by us.”

He described widespread voter apathy across Ghana's constituencies. “People were saying they were not coming out to vote,” he explained.

Polling station executives tried to encourage turnout but faced resistance. “They kept getting this message: We are not voting.”

Dr. Bawumia suggested this disengagement seemed coordinated across regions. “It was something we had never seen before in an election.”

He provided statistics showing six regions accounted for most non-voters in 2024. Greater Accra had 571,000 non-voters; Ashanti had 429,000.

Eastern region saw 258,000 non-voters; Western region had 164,000; Bono about 100,000.

“These areas usually provide our strongest support,” he noted.

Reflecting on the situation, Bawumia admitted a national decline occurred. “Votes fell in 15 of Ghana’s 16 regions,” he stated.

The only region with increased votes was North East, his home area. In every other region, votes decreased significantly.

His comments mark a direct acknowledgment of internal issues within the party during elections. He did not blame the Electoral Commission or opposition manipulation for their loss.

His main point was clear: The NPP lost because its supporters chose to stay home.